The present invention relates generally to firearms and is particularly concerned with the use of flashlights or baton and the like in conjunction with firearms.
In the United States and many other countries a police officer is required to carry a flashlight, baton, and a firearm, typically a handgun or pistol. In some circumstances a rifle or shotgun will be used by an officer. Police officers in Europe and the United States are taught to fire their guns two handed, in other words using a two handed grip on the handle or handgrip of the gun. This will normally improve accuracy in aiming at a target and firing multiple shots, and reduces recoil since it is easier to hold the gun barrel steady when two hands are used for support.
During daylight hours or in well-lit areas this procedure does not normally cause any problems, but when an officer needs to aim the gun or be prepared to fire when approaching a suspect in darkened areas, it will be difficult if not impossible to aim the gun correctly while at the same time using a flashlight to illuminate the area. If the flashlight is held in one hand and the gun in the other, the officer is at a disadvantage since he will not normally have learned to aim accurately using only one hand, and also since it will be difficult to point both the flashligh and the gun accurately towards the same target.
Similar problems arise whether a rifle, shotgun or hand gun is used. Two hands are required for aiming a rifle, one holding the stock or rear grip of the rifle, and the other holding the barrel or a slide grip on the barrel. This leaves no hand free for aiming a flashlight, causing considerable problems if a rifle is needed in darkened or poorly lit conditions.
Additionally, in some situations the officer may wish to use the baton as well as the gun, for example using the baton as a firing support for the gun to improve accuracy and reduce recoil. This is also awkward to achieve and may be necessary to any time of day and under any lighting conditions.
In view of these problems various attachment devices have been proposed in the past to secure flashlights and the like to firearms, so that both hands are left free for aiming and firing the gun. One typical arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,348 of Robinson, in which a bracket detachably mounts a flashligh on a gun grip. This type of arrangement has a number of drawbacks. One major problem is the difficulty of separating the firearm and flashlight as rapidly and easily as may be desired. Another drawback is the interference of the connecting bracket with conventional two handed firing of the gun. Also, the gun with the attached bracket will not fit into a standard gun holster. The bracket adds additional weight, possibly making it more difficult to aim the gun and maintain alignment with the target in some cases. Also the bracket may be incorrectly attached or may slip, resulting in the secured flashlight pointing in the wrong direction.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,132,063 of Whaley a flashlamp is shown secured to a gun rest having a groove for seating the barrel of a gun. In this arrangement the user grips the normal handgrip with one hand while holding the flashlamp against the barrel of the gun with the other hand. In this way the flashlamp can be used in the manner of a gunsight for aiming at a target, but this arrangement has the disadvantage that the conventional, two handed firing stance cannot be used.